Horse-releaser.



E. BELL & R. E. MENTEER. HORSE RELEASER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1 a,1912.

Patented July 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

awe/Mom I Be fl? Z/Veaen B. BELL & R. E. MENTEER. HORSE RELEASER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1912.

1,032,981 Patented July 1 6, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. PI 5 bx E F M I; I Be EDDIE BELL AND ROBERT E.MENTEER, OF FREDERICK, KANSAS.

HORSE-EELEASER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16,1912.

Application filed January 18, 1912. Serial No. 671,975.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDDIE BELL and ROBERT E. MENTEER, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Frederick, in the county of Rice, State ofKansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inllorse-Releasers; and we dohereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to horse releasers of that general classconsisting of shaft securing axle clips designed to open and drop fromthe axle upon the draft animal becoming unmanageable.

An object of the present invention is to provide an axle clip formed oftwo hinged sections the legs of which are connectedby an H-shaped bridgepiece, which pivotally secures a combined anti-rattler and triggercontrolling spring this construction forming a simpler and moreeffective emergency clip than ordinary devices of this character.

A second object of the invention is to provide a novel trigger which ispivotally attached to the spring through the instrumentality of a pairof pivoted links, the trigger having a locking tongue adapted to beselectively engaged in one of a series of openings formed in the freesection of the hinge clip and yieldingly hold the free sec tion inoperative engagement with said it shaped bridge piece, whereby a morepositive locking together of the parts is obtained and accidentalopening of the clip positively prevented.

\Vith the above objects in view the invention consists of certain noveldetails of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed, understood that various modifications may be madein the minor details of construction within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification:-Figure1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a vehicle showing the applicationof our device to the front axle thereof. Fig. 2,is a longitudinalsectional View through the device. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thedevice showing the same in operative position in full lines and inreleased position in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional viewtaken on the line 4-1 Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmenit being tary plan Viewof the device in operative,

position.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts, 10 designates the axle and 11 the axle tree.The device embodied in our invention comprises a clip formed of twosections 12 and 13 which are pivotally connected together as at 1 1 atsubstantially the center of the clip, and upon the section 12 is formeda pair of cars 15 for the reception therebetween of the thill iron 16,there being the usual pin 17 engaged through these ears and thill iron.

A substantially H-shaped bridge piece 18 connects the terminals of theclip sections, said terminals fitting in the indentations in the endedges of the bridge piece, and a rivet 19 or similar connector 'ispassed through the bridge piece and the terminal of the section 12 torigidly secure the latter to the bridge piece. The free section 13 fitsloosely in the related indentation of the bridge piece and is providedon the outer face with a series of notches 20 the purpose of which willpresently appear.

A curvilinear spring 21 is provided approximately centrally with spacedears 22 which. fit in the indentation of the bridge piece nearest to thefixed section of the clip, and a pivot pin 23 is passed through the earsand bridge piece to pivotally secure the spring to the latter. Thespring extends upwardly between the ears 15 and is terminally bent tooverlie the pin 17 as shown at 2 1, a lip 25 being formed on the edge ofthe bent portion and bearing against the head of the pin to hold thelatter against escape. The lower end of the spring is bent to form aneye 26, and arranged on opposite sides of the eye are spaced links 27, apivot pin 28 being passed through the front ends of the links andthrough the eye.

The links extend rearwardly beyond the terminal of the free section 13and bear within recesses 29 formed in the outer edges of the H-shapedbridge piece. An upstanding trigger 30 is interposed between the rearends of the links and a pivot pin 31 is passed through the links andtrigger. A locking tongue 32 is formed the trigger and is adapted to beselectively engaged in one of the series ofnotches 20 formed in theouter face of the free sections 13.

By now referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that when the links are swungto the position shown in full lines and the trigger tongue engaged inthe notch in the tree section, the spring 21 will be simultaneouslyrocked on its pivot and placed under tension, and will in this conditionbear forcibly upon the thill iron 16 whereby to hold the latter againstrattling, and will also hold the trigger firmly in operative position.Thus it will be seen that the spring performs the dual function of ananti-rattler and a controlling spring for the trigger.

It will be understood that there are two of these devices attached tothe axle, and in order that they may be simultaneously operated torelease the thills, a rock shaft 33 is secured to the rear side of theaxle through the instrumentality of axle clips 34 having bridge pieces35 which are provided with rearward extensions having spi 'a-l terminals37 which. embrace the rock shaft. The latter provided with upstandingcranks 38 the terminals of which normally fit in be tween the free endof the trigger and free section of the clip. Projections 39 are arrangedupon the rock shaft near the side of the vehicle box and upon depressionof either projection the shaft will be rocked and the cranks moved so asto pry rearwardly the triggers whereupon the parts will as same theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and permit of the thillsescaping from the vehicle.

hatis claimed, is

1. A horse releaser including a clip formed of a pair of hingedsections, a substantially H-shaped bridge piece receiving the terminalsof said sections in the indentations of the end edges, one of saidterminals being fixedly secured to said bridge piece, and means fordetachably securing the :tree terminal to said bridge piece comprising aspring connected to said bridge piece, a trigger having a locking tongueadapted to seat in a notch formed in the free terminal, and a linkpivotally connected to said spring and to said trigger.

2. A horse releaser including a clip formed of av pair of hingedsections, a bridge piece connecting the terminals of the of saidterminals being fixedly secured to said bridge piece and having a pairof laterally extending hinge ear." adapted to receive a thill iron, thetree section being provided on the outer face with a notch, a springpivotal v secured to said bridge piece and extending upwardly betweensaid hinge ears and extending below said bridge piece, an upstandingtrigger having a locking tongue adapted to seat in said notch, and alink pivotally secured to said spring below said bridge piece andpivotally secured to said trigger.

In testimony whereof, we aliix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

EDDIE BELL. ROBERT MENTEER. lVitnesses W. F. SwAn'rz, Earn. BADRAUN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

sect ions, one :7

